Getting Started

Damage Studies

Studies have proven that there are two main reasons for contact with underground facilities:

Failure to request a stakeout. Many damages have been caused by an excavator who was aware of Dig Safely New York, but failed to call because he/she assumed there were no buried facilities at the excavation site.

Privately owned facilities. Buried electric or water mains that run under a street are owned by facility operators, but the owner of the service line that feeds a house varies by utility and location. A water pipe or telephone line, among others, could be owned by the homeowner

To prevent damages, remember that buried facilities can exist anywhere (no matter how rural the site), and facility operators are only required to mark their own facilities.